Keeper for door and gate latches.



A. JOHNSON.

KBBPER POR DOOIIl AND GATE LATGHES.

112211101121011 FILED JULY 17,1911.

1,048,236,- -Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

. .I I I I I T 1 I I I I I Iv- L l I I M I engelen-Rab Streuung:

AUGUST JOHNSON, 0F GULLIVER, MICHIGAN.

KEEPER FOR DOOR AND GATE LATCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 638,918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gulliver, in the county of Schoolcraft and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Keepers for Door and Gate Latches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to latches, and more especially to the keepers thereof; and the object of the same is to Vgreatly simplify and yet improve and strengthen the construction of the keeper in such a way that it may be used with a latch on a door which slides or swings.

Vith `this object in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the .combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view ofv one side 0f a portion of a door and door frame or casing showing the application of my improved latch.; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the door; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on theline 8-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. t is a horizontal sectional view on the line 1--4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the latch plate; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the keeper.

In the embodiment of the invention I provide a latch plate 1 which may be of any suitable size according to the size of the door or gate to which the same is to be applied. The latch plate 1 has formed in its inner end a square aperture with which is engaged the squared shank 2 of an operating handle 3 which projects rearwardly from and at right angles to the latch plate as shown. The shank 2 extends through an opening in the door and projects a suitable distance beyond the opposite side of the door and through a washer 4 arranged adjacent to this side of the door as shown. With the square projecting end of the shank is engaged a second operating handle 5 said handle being secured to the shank by means of a nut 6 screwed onto the end ofthe shank, said end being reduced and threaded as shown to receive the nut.

The outer or free end of the latch plate is beveled or inclined from the lower edge toward the upper edge of the plate as at 19 and said beveled end terminates in a reduced extension which is preferably bent upwardly, thence rearwardly and downwardly into a loop 20 standing upon the upper edge of the plate as shown. In the lower edge of the latch plate adjacent to the beveled end thereof is formed a locking notch 7 the purpose of which will be herein after described. In the center of the plate 1 at the rear of and spaced a suitable distance from the notch 7 is formed a threaded aperture 8 into which is adapted to be screwed the threaded stem of an eye bolt or locking member 9, said eye bolt or locking member being adapted to be screwed into the aperture 8 from either side of the latch plate thus permitting the latch to be used on either side of doors or on doors opening at the left or right hand side. Secured to thedoor adjacent to the edge of the same is a guide or guard loop 10 through which the free end of the latch plate eX- tends and is adapted to operate, said guide loop holding the free end of the latch plate in place and supporting the same in position when the door is open.

Secured to the door frame or casing in position to be engaged by the latch plate is a keeper 11, said keeper being preferably constructed from a wire rod bent to form an outstanding or horizontal arm 15, an up wardly and inwardly inclined portion 1G leading from the outer end of said arm, a rounded loop 17 into which the upper end of the incline 16 merges, and a screw 14: at the inner end of the loop standing parallel with the arm 15 but above it, the screw making an angle with the inner side of the loop so as to produce a depressionor offset 12 which is intended to receive the beveled end of the latch plate and to be engaged by the locking notch 7 in the lower edge of the same. The lower end 18 of the rod forming the keeper extends straight downward from the inner end of the arm 15 and is pierced with an eye 19 through which is adapted to be passed a bolt 18 by means of which the lower portion of the keeper is rigidly secured to the door frame. In putting this improved keeper into place, the point of its screw 1li is inserted in the door frame first and the whole keeper revolved around it to sink this screw in the wood until the inner side of the lower end 18 comes in contact with the wood and stands below the screw 14 as seen in Fig. 3, at which time the rellt cess 12 will be interposed between the inner arm of the loop 17 and the outer face of the wood so as to conveniently engage the free end of the latch; and nally the bolt 13 is applied to hold the keeper rigidly in position.

The loop 17stands at a point in line with the eye bolt 9 to be engaged by a padlock whereby the latch plate may be locked ina closed or operative position.

By constructing and arranging my iinproved latch as hei-ein shown and described the saine may be readily applied to a swinging or sliding door and will automatically catch or engage the keeper when the door is swung or slid to a closed position. lVhen applied to a hinged or swinging door and the latter is swung to a closed position the lower edge of the latch plate will engage the inclined outer edge 16 of the keeper which engagement will lift the latch plate and permit the saine to pass over the loop` 17 and to drop intov the locking recess 12.

When the latch is applied to a sliding door and the latter closed the beveled end 21 of the latch plate will come into engagement with the lower end of the recess 12 thereby raising the free end of the latch plate and thus permit the notched lower edge thereof to drop into engagement with the lower portion of the recess 12 in the keeper thus auto-- matically locking the latch plate in engagement with the keeper. In either use of this device, the upstanding loop 17 of the keeper serves the double purpose of assisting in re taining the tipof the latch plate and presenting an opening coperating with that in the eye-bolt 9 to receive a padlock. The

rear arm of the loop 17 positively resists the opening of a swinging door, and the lower portion of the recess 12 (which is the outer' extremity of the screw 14) positively resists the opening of a sliding door the latch Y essary to bear down on the handle at either l plate engaging in the angle between these two parts whethervthe door swings or slides.

In releasing the latch for opening either a sliding or swinging door it is simply necside of the door whereupon the free end of Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

the latch will be lifted out of engagement with the recess or depression in the keeper thus permitting the door to bev swung or slid back to an 'open position. By arranging the handles o-f the latch in the manner described,

said handles serve not only as a means for operating theV latch but also as handles Vfor opening and closing the door, thus obviating the necessity of any dles.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying d'raw ings, the construction and operation. of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

As a new articleof manufacture, the herein other knobs or liandescribed latch keeper made from a single piece of wire having an upright lower end adapted to lie against the face of the member to which the keeper applied and pierced with an eye for a fastening screw,

the wire extending from the upper extremity of said lower end outward in a horizontal arm, thence obliquely upward and inward toward said memberV and merging into a rounded loop, thence vertically downward toward said arm but on a liner further re- Y mote from said member than is the lower end, thence forming a right angle to produce aV recess for receiving the latch, and terminating in a straight screw standing parallel with but above said horizontal armV and projecting beyond said upright lower end so that the screw may embed the meniber, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST JOHNSON. Witnesses:

O. A. BownN, C. M. HART.

Washington, 1D. C. 

